Little Blue Boy
by Phoenix-FT-Flames
Summary: Demons were once beings with two heads, four arms and only one heart. When the gods started to feel threatened by these creatures' power they split them in half, leaving both parts yearning to find the other. All Ichigo ever wanted was to find his other half, but with family politics at play that's never going to happen. Except these things have a way of simply appearing.
1. Chapter 1 - Ichigo

_Hello all. This is the first fan fiction I've published. I've tried my best to stamp out the majority of mistakes but please let me know if you find anything dire. Now, this has elements of Mpreg. That means it also has M/M, so if that's not your thing I hope you have a good day and I'll see you 'round (I'd have mentioned this in the description but I ran out of space). I was unsure of the rating. I'm not aiming for anything overly graphic but if I've rated it wrong please mention it. I cannot guarantee an update scedule. For now we'll say it'll be the 13th of every month, but if I can, I will do it more often. _

_As people always say, please read and review. _

_I hope you enjoy this first chapter. _

_~ Phoenix _

**Chapter One**

Ichigo

The week after his sixteenth birthday was meant to be time off. Yes, he had to go through his first heat, and no, it wasn't a pleasant experience, but it came with being a demon beta, and there wasn't anything he could do about his biology. After his first there was medication he could take to suppress them, however his body had to go through one to adapt before the little pills could be any use.

It really wasn't as bad as people had made it out to be. He was overheated permanently; there was an awful pressure in his temples, and he found himself aroused more often than he was comfortable with, but he could handle it. It was the segregation that bothered him the most. There was to be no contact with people outside of family. If he was to be approached by some alpha in his current state it was a sure thing that they'd start touching, and if that happened instinct would take over, making it hard to resist. If he fell pregnant before he got mated it'd be a disaster. The heads of his family had been sure to drill that into him from the moment he'd started making friends.

Ichigo lay on his bed, arms stretched out above his head as he stared at the ceiling, trying not to think about what would happen once the week was up. He would have to find a mate before he was eighteen. It was just how things were done, had always been done, but that didn't mean he had to like it. There were procedures he had to follow. The heads of the family would find suitors, the sons of wealthy, well known people. They'd be sons of people who his family could benefit from through a mating. In some ways that part had already begun. He'd met a few of his suitors at his formal birthday event. They'd been invited for the sole reason of getting to know him, and he couldn't say he was optimistic. There had been one guy in particular that his grandfather had been pushing, Sosuke Aizen. Aizen was the only child of the captain of the Demon Division, a unique branch of the military which utilised the individual talents of their species. Ichigo had met Aizen before, many times, he always seemed to appear at any event Ichigo attended, and would go out of his way to speak to the orange haired youth. If he was being honest, he found it a bit creepy, but there wasn't anything he could do about it.

He hadn't yet asked his father what he thought of the situation. Ichigo could guess that he wouldn't be overly happy about it, not that it'd change anything. His father had only been allowed to marry his mother with the understanding that Ichigo's grandfather would play matchmaker for Ichigo and his siblings.

Ichigo wouldn't give up his family for the world, but he often wondered what would have happened if he'd born into a poor family instead of a rich one. People often said how lucky he was, living in such a large mansion with people to help him whenever he needed. He could have anything he wanted growing up, except for the one thing he wanted above all others, the freedom to choose.

He grew up on the stories of the gods, and how every being had been born with two heads, four arms and four legs, but only one heart. It was said, that once the gods had realised how powerful these beings were, they split them in two. New, smaller bodies were formed, but each only possessed half a heart. It was thought that a demon's soulmate was the one who held the other half of their heart, and that there was no way of knowing who it was before meeting them. He loved the tales of soulmates sensing each other, being drawn to a place on instinct only to find their other half. Ichigo had always dreamt of finding the other half of his heart, but that's all it ever was, a dream. There was no way he'd be allowed to go looking, and it went without saying that Aizen wasn't it. Ichigo wasn't even sure the guy had anything like a heart, he seemed nice enough, but there was something under the surface that put Ichigo on edge. Well, good luck to him. At least he had two more years before he might have to mate with the other man.

A knock at his door shook him out of his thoughts. He took his time to roll over onto his stomach so he was facing the entrance to his room.

"Yeah. Come in,"

The door didn't open. Instead, a faint humanoid shaped form stepped right through the solid wood. It stood there for a moment, shimmering, almost invisible, and then it solidified. To anyone who didn't know the family, the demon could have been mistaken for Ichigo's taller, and colourless twin, but that was not the case.

"Hey. How ya feeling?"

Ichigo watched as his elder brother settled himself on the edge.

"Alright, I guess. Are you guys leaving now?"

"Yep." Gold on black eyes turned to meet brown, "You'll have the whole place to yourself,"

"And that's great, but I wish I was coming with you,"

"I know it sucks. I'll take ya somewhere nice when we get back."

Ichigo sighed, shifting to lay his head on his brother's leg, "Alright."

A pale hand came up to run through orange hair. Neither male thought much about the gesture, used to the comforting touches shared between them. They sat together in the quietness of the room, just taking a second with their silent goodbye.

Eventually Ichigo moved away. The other got to his feet, but didn't leave.

"Ya sure ya gonna be alright?" Shiro said.

"I'll be fine, Shiro. You don't need to worry."

"Well, if you're sure. The staff won't be here for the week, so if ya need anything ya know ya can call me, right?"

"Shiro..."

"There's enough food so ya don't hafta go out,"

"Shiro, really..."

"An' ya got the whole house to ya'self, an' I'll be back on Sunday."

"Shiro. Stop. Seriously, you're making a bigger fuss about this than me. They're probably waiting for you."

"I know. I'm sorry, but I worry about ya, ya know?" Shiro said, moving back to the bed to wrap Ichigo up in a hug.

"I do. Now go." Ichigo pushed his brother towards the door, "I'll watch you leave from the window."

" Ya did say bye to everyone, right?"

" Yes. Unlike you, they were ready an hour ago,"

Shiro paused, unsure if he should leave, "Ya could always come down an' say bye again."

" Shi, please,"

"Okay. Okay, I'm leavin'. I'll see ya next Sunday, Ichi,"

With that he left through the door the same way he entered, and Ichigo was alone once more.

The first thing he did, on the Sunday morning after his family left, was gather all the pillows and blankets from the bedrooms to make a giant nest in the home cinema. He decided that he'd sleep in there for the week. It made it easier to relax while watching films, and it was close to the kitchen, which made it perfect for regular snacks.

He spent two days messing around in the empty mansion. All of the hallways, rooms and staircases looked the same as always, but the absence of family and staff made them feel bigger and lonesome. It was a weird feeling, and Ichigo, being restless with his condition, used his energy to explore the home where he grew up. With no one around to catch him at anything, he was able to be impulsive without having to think things through first. Of course he didn't want to be reckless, but something inside pulled on the childlike thoughts that flickered trough his brain, and there was no reason to ignore them. The thoughts could have been because of the heat, or it could have been that Ichigo had been acting as an adult for so long that the opportunity to be a child again was a too good one to pass up. He'd pondered the reason for his urges for a while, before deciding that he didn't care and just went with it. He let lose, running through the corridors and bouncing himself off the walls when he didn't slow down in time. He went through the games room, digging out packets of cards, dominos and Jenga bricks, which then used to build a massive tower underneath the pool table. Animals were made out of Lego, experimental and disastrous foods came out the kitchen, and by the time Wednesday came around there weren't many rooms left to put a mark on.

On Thursday Ichigo was so worked up from the heat that he could barley think. He hated it. He was hot and sweaty and had to keep touching himself just to get a short moment of relief to rest in. It was never long before the aching harness came back though, one or two hours at most. As much as he disliked being alone, he was more than glad his family had gone, he couldn't imagine anyone seeing him like this. Panting, he finished himself off. He lay in his nest, catching his breath before pulling on a pair of boxers and and long sleeved top to keep himself covered until it was too uncomfortable to be so. It was pointless, but, even in his state, it didn't feel right to be naked all the time. He buried himself under the mound of duvets and blankets, surrounding his body completely. It felt safe, warm, everything he thought a good nest should be. Making himself as comfortable as he could, he hummed and closed his eyes to sleep the rest of the night away.

Ichigo woke with a start. He didn't know what had disturbed him, but something at the back of his mind was prodding him, telling him that something was off, that something was wrong. Shifting, he pushed his head up to poke out of his fortress. It was dark, but he wasn't yet aroused, meaning he couldn't have been asleep for long, just for long enough for it to become night. He stretched into a yawn, displacing the blankets wrapped around his middle. As he turned over to snuggle back in, something in the hallway outside the door creaked. Freezing in place, he listened, trying to ignore the pounding of his heart. Something creaked again, this time accompanied by a murmur of hurried voices. Then silence. Pressing down into his nest to make himself as small as possible, Ichigo waited. The beating of his blood in his ears made it impossible to concentrate. Someone was in his house. Any other time he'd be after them, taking them down and making sure they knew never to come back. But he couldn't, not now. If they found him... it wasn't worth thinking about.

The door rattled. The handle turned. Ichigo drew in a breath, not daring to let it out again. He gripped at the blankets with shaking fists.

The door opened.

A person stepped through, a silhouette against the light from the hallway. Ichigo blinked as the figure reached out and flicked the switch on the wall, flooding the room with light.

Why was he here?

Ichigo let out his breath as Aizen turned his head towards where he was hidden. A warped smile spread across the brunet's face as their eyes made contact from across the room. Aizen knew. Everything in Ichigo's body was screaming at him to get out, to run away because this man was an alpha, and he knew Ichigo was in heat. There was no other reason for him to be there. Aizen had come for Ichigo, to take him and, as soon as the deed was done, there would be no reason for Ichigo's grandfather to choose anyone else. It wouldn't matter what Ichigo wanted. It wouldn't matter that the alpha had broken in to his home to get him when he was vulnerable because, at the end of it all, he'd be pregnant and it would easier for his grandfather to okay the whole affair since Aizen was a suitor than to make a fuss about it. They'd just blame it on Ichigo somehow. The word of beta male was worth virtually nothing.

"Ah. So this is where you've been hiding," Aizen said, pushing his glasses up before striding into the room, "You haven't made it easy, we were looking for you upstairs." He came to a stop in front of the orange haired boy and looked down into his wide brown eyes.

Ichigo had to move. He had to try to flee. He couldn't just let it happen. He didn't want this. He was supposed to have two more years for himself. He let his eyes dart to the door. There was someone else there, stood just outside the room. Even if Ichigo managed to get past Aizen he'd still have to get past the gorilla of a man that blocked the only way out. Unable to stop himself, he let out a whimper.

Aizen followed Ichigo's gaze, "Oh don't worry about him. He'll be staying out there," he waved a hand and the man disappeared down the hallway, "See. Now, are you going to behave?" He crouched down, reaching out to grab the teen's arm.

But Ichigo wasn't having any of it.

"No!" he jerked his arm back, only to throw it forward again to knock the advancing had away, "I am not a toy for you to play with."

He was still terrified, but he was going to fight as best he could. He was not just a mindless baby machine, no matter how many people saw him that way. He pushed his body up, trying to get his feet under him to stand, but, before he could get there, fingers tangled in his hair and yanked him back down again.

Aizen straddled Ichigo's back, one leg either side of the boy's body. He kept one hand in the orange locks, using the other to capture the flaying arms by the wrists and pin them to the ground. He lent forward to brush his lips along the shell of an ear, "I don't think you're quite understanding," he said as Ichigo growled beneath him, "I want you. I am not a patient man. Why should I wait when I can have you now?" He let go of Ichigo's hair and used his fingers to trail a path down the boy's side.

And that was all the leeway Ichigo needed.

He threw his head back as hard as he could. It connected with a crack and the man on his back gasped, loosening the grip on his wrist. Ichigo wrenched his arms free, pushing upwards with everything he had to throw the alpha tumbling off his back. He didn't dare look back as he scrambled along the floor towards the door. He got to his feet and he ran. Yelling erupted behind him as he reached the hallway and took off, heading away from where Aizen had gotten in. Pounding footsteps, thundered after him. He didn't stop, but he grabbed at bookshelves and tables as he ran, pulling them down behind him to slow down anyone who followed. He tried to think straight, but everything was crashing around him. His eyes burned, tears welling up making everything blurry. He could still hear them after him. He shook his head, pushing himself to go faster. As he reached the kitchen at the back of the house he turned, bursting through the double door and skirting around the island in the centre. He grabbed the key off the counter by the fridge as he passed and came to an abrupt stop as he smashed into the back door. With shaking hands he tried to get the key in the lock. It kept slipping. He couldn't get it right, his hands weren't in his control, and every time he missed the panic invading his chest increased. Breathing was becoming difficult. His brain couldn't focus on anything apart from the shouts that were growing louder with every second he wasted.

He jabbed at the lock again. The key went in and he was outside.

Ichigo knew that if he wanted to stay away from his pursuers he couldn't keep running. He went left, made his way down the garden path and climbed over the iron fence that cornered off the vegetable patch. As he was nestling himself amongst the massive rhubarb plants, Aizen and his lackey burst through the door. They both stood there for a moment. It was dark, to Ichigo that didn't mean much. It was always a little uncomfortable to use his demon heritage, but if he could see and they couldn't it gave him a better chance. Wincing, he concentrated his power into his eyes, make the pupils contract and shift until they resembled the eyes of a cat. Thin black lines appeared under his eyes to help direct what little light there was onto the lenses. He blinked as the cramping stopped and focused his attention on the two men.

Aizen stood on the steps, scanning the garden for the infuriating orange that he'd come to associate with the beta, "Where did he go?" He turned to the man next to him, "Don't just stand there, find him!"

The man, nodded and hurried across the grass towards the summer house.

Ichigo watched as Aizen stepped down and onto the path. The man looked both ways, turning his head slowly as if it would tell him where Ichigo had gone. After a minute, he walked forward, the tapping of his shoes against the stone echoing in the darkness. As the man came nearer, Ichigo held his breath, tears threatening to spill. The man came closer, until his shoes were so close Ichigo could reach out and touch them.

"Sir, there's something over here,"

The shout made Ichigo jump, but he was lucky because the shoes turned and walked away, faster than they had approached. He let his breath as the sound of footsteps disappeared.

Peeking out from the leaves of the plant, Ichigo looked to the summer house just in time to see the men go inside. It was now or never. He could feel his skin starting to heat up again and knew that, if he left it too long, he wouldn't be going anywhere. He pushed his power into his hands, gritting his teeth through the pain as his finger nails stretched and sharpened into claws. With these he'd be able to climb pretty much anything.

Darting from his hiding place, Ichigo jumped the iron fence again and sprinted across the wet grass towards the ten foot wall that surrounded the garden.

He heard something crash behind him.

"Don't let him run again!"

Reaching the wall, Ichigo dug his claws into the rough brick and pulled himself up. He kept going until he made it to the top, then, listening to the cursing from the man below him, threw himself off to land on the other side.

* * *

Ichigo didn't know how long he'd been wandering around in the forest area outside his home. He'd had to stop once, to take care of the problem of his heat which didn't seem to care if he was safe or not. He was sure he was going in the right direction, the ground had been sloping down steadily for a while meaning he was nearing the outskirts of the high side of the city. Shivering, he pulled the long sleeves of his top down over his hands, but it didn't do much good for his legs which were almost completely bare. He stumbled down a shallow embankment and found himself on a road. It was a built up area in the best part of town. Opposite him were rows of houses with large automatic gates and manicured lawns. He couldn't see any lights on, but even if there were he couldn't go knocking on peoples doors. If another demon answered there was a high chance they'd either take him for themselves or hand him back to Aizen, and, although human-demon relationships were improving, most humans had a scream first help later policy when his kind called late at night. Letting the tears that he'd been holding back fall, Ichigo started to shake. What was he meant to do? He choked back a sob and kept going, putting one foot in front of the other. Maybe he could... He looked up at the tall apartment buildings that loomed over the houses. It wasn't ideal, but somewhere like that, as swanky as they were, were sure to have some sort of store room or something he could hide in, at least until the morning when he could go to the front desk and have them call Shiro.

It took a while to get to the nearest building. He'd stumbled the whole way there, too exhausted by everything to walk properly. Every time he fell onto the concrete he got back up, even when his feet, legs and arms got so cut up he couldn't move without pain. He didn't try to stop himself crying, there was no point. The tears stained his face and made his eyes ache. He should be stronger than this. He knew he was stronger than this, but after everything that had happened the reality of his situation, of his future, hit so hard he wondered if it was worth it.

But he had Shiro. He had Karin and Yuzu and their father. He couldn't give up, even if it was just for them.

Ichigo lent against the wall to stop himself from falling. He had to get in. Pushing himself back up he looked around. A set of metal stairs, a fire escape, was attached to the building about twenty metres away. That would do. He tried to walk towards it, but his legs were so shaky he almost collapsed. Using the wall for support he dragged himself along and when he reached the stairs he grabbed onto the railing and used that to pull himself up step by step. He got up three floors before he could go no further.

Falling on to the cold metal, Ichigo stopped. His eyes were so heavy. He tried to keep them open, to move his arms, but his body had had enough. He whimpered as he finally let the pain wash over him and drag him into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2 - Grimmjow

_Here we are a second chapter. I hope it was worth the wait, I've tried to make it the best I can. That, however, does not mean there are no mistakes, so if you spot something please let me know._  
_I'd like to thank all those people who read, followed and favorited the first part of this. It's appreciated. Also thank you to that one person who reveiwed the first chapter. I hope you're here again._  
_Please feel free to leave reveiws. I'd like to know if this is going well or if there are things that could be better/you'd like to see happen. I can't promise anything but if you give a suggestion and I use it I'll give you a mention at the beginning of that chapter._  
_One last thing before you move on. I have a lot of uni work going on at the moment and that will continue into April and May, so I'm sorry if chapters don't come out that fast or at the expected time. I want to make this the best I can and to do that I need enough time to write it and check it before posting. Thank you for understanding._  
_Now, on to the good bit._

_~Phoenix_

**Chapter Two**

Grimmjow

There were many things Grimmjow Jagerjaques appreciated in life, and having free reign of his uncle's flat for a few days was one of them. It wasn't that he didn't like spending time with Devlin, he did, turely, but the man could get a bit overbearing in his attempts to entertain. It was nice to have time for himself for a while.

He ran a hand through his blue hair, messing up the strands until it looked as if he'd just rolled out of bed. Standing from the sofa, he switched off the TV and dropped the remote onto the coffee table. He stretched, reaching up high above his head, revealing a slither of tanned skin around his middle.

Well, might as well make the most of the time he had left. How many days was it now, six? Seven? Anyway it wouldn't be long until they were packing the car again and he'd be off to university in the next city over. He just wished his parents had stuck around to see him go, rather than buggering off to some sunny place abroad.

He stepped around the cardboard boxes, weaving through the maze of his things that he had to re-sort. It wouldn't take long. He'd wait for Devlin to get back. His uncle would be happy to help and the man was better at packing than Grimmjow was himself.

Wandering into the kitchen, he snatched up a couple packets of crisps which had been left out on the side. Not really sure about what he wanted to do with himself, he took the time rummage around in the cupboards, just to see if there was anything else worth taking.

Returning to the living room, one arm stacked high with all sorts of snacks, he patted his pockets with his free hand to locate the cigarettes and lighter he had stashed away somewhere. He figured that, since he didn't have much else to do and watching TV hours on end had lost its appeal, he'd go and sit outside and look up at the stars for a while. Maybe not the most exciting thing, but he found it helped him to think, cleared his head so he could focus on planning his future and, hopefully allow him to sleep a little better than he had been.

Making his way over to the window beside the sofa, Grimmjow, with one unbalanced spillage of his haul onto the floor and a few curse words, managed to shift everything around so he could slide the window up one-handed. With the window open and the cool night breeze drifting in, he dropped the food through the window and onto the metal platform below. He climbed out after it, hunching over to fit himself through the gap. His foot crunched down on a packet of crisps, splitting open the bag and sending the snacks skittering of the surface.

"Damn, stupid window," Grimmjow said, pulling himself the rest of the way out before keeling down on the platform to sweep what he could back into the bag so he could bin it later.

That done, he started to pull everything else back into one large pile, so he could reach it all once he settled down. It was as he leant forward to retrieve a can of Pepsi, which had rolled itself quite far away from him, that he looked down between the gaps in the landing and saw a boy (and Grimmjow wasn't sure if that was the right word to describe the guy, but 'man' didn't seem to fit) just lying still on the platform below.

For a moment Grimmjow just stayed where he was, frowning down at the figure below, trying to get his brain to catch up with his eyes. There wasn't much he could make out in the dark with only the light from the flat behind him illuminating the area around him, but one thing he was sure of was that hair that orange wasn't natural for any human. The guy was one of his people.

Not really a good thing.

Grimmjow's brain kicked back into gear and he banged on the floor, rattling the metal. "Hey, dude, what are you doing down there?"

No reply. He wasn't expecting one either.

Grimmjow placed the Pepsi can down next to the rest of his snacks and stood, stepping over the pile to make his way down the stairs. As he approached the guy, and kelt down by his side to check him over, Grimmjow realised just how wrong the whole thing was.

The kid was beat, wounds decorating his skin, but most noticeably along his legs, his knees scraped raw and red. Grimmjow fleetingly wondered where the rest of the guy's clothes were as he wore nothing on his lower half except from boxers. The guy was curled up on himself, arms tucked tightly into his chest, and one fist clenching onto the fabric of his shirt. He was shivering too, despite the warm night.

Grimmjow reached out, fully planning to shake the guy awake, but he stopped half way, hand hovering above a hunched shoulder. This close Grimmjow could smell the guy, and God, did that sent do something weird to his thoughts. He'd never experienced something so disorienting before, but he'd heard enough stories to know what this guy in front of him was.

The guy was a demon, certainly, but he was also a beta, and he was in heat.

And Grimmjow, an alpha and proud of that fact, had no idea what the fuck he was meant to do.

* * *

In the end Grimmjow brought the guy inside and put him in his bed. It was hardly an easy task because the guy was out cold and Grimmjow didn't want to tempt fate and touch him unnecessarily. Which was hard because there was nothing more he wanted to do.

Thinking back on all the information that had been stuffed into his head about how betas worked, which frankly made them sound like some sort of machine, Grimmjow covered his hands with spare shirts so they wouldn't have any skin on skin contact. The window was a challenge, but once they were through and the beta was in a safer place than the stairs, Grimmjow sat himself in the living room, away from the pull of the beta, and thought through what the hell he was going to do with the guy.

Something had obviously gone wrong. Should he be calling someone? The police, or the hospital, or the guy's family? But he couldn't do that. Not only had he no idea what had happened, but he himself could get in trouble for getting near him, and there was no way to find out who his family was or if they were safe to return him to. Then there was the fact that part of Grimmjow simply didn't want to. He wanted the guy near him, to talk to him, get to know him, and… other things. He'd had had those types of thoughts before, of course, even acted on them with a few people, but never had anything so instant and so strong occured. It freaked him the fuck out.

No. He decided to wait for the beta to wake up, maybe then they could at least talk through the door or something. Then with the help of the other teen (that at least sounded right), they could figure out the best thing to do.

Grimmjow sighed and lay down on the sofa. He would try to sleep and not think about how messy his life had potentially become.

* * *

Grimmjow woke on Friday morning completely confused about why he was lying on the sofa fully clothed. He pushed himself up and thumped his feet down on the floor, rubbing at his face with his hands.

Then he remembered everything that had transpired the night before and froze in place, but only for a moment, because then he was groaning loudly into his hands and wondering what the flipping hell he had been thinking. He got up, shaking himself out of his thoughts.

Grimmjow made his way to his room. The door was closed, no surprise there, and he hesitated for only a second before rapping a fist against the wood and leaning closer to listen for sounds coming from within.

"Hey...uh, kid?" he said, keeping his voice as soft as possible, "I don't know if you're feeling okay, or whatever, but I found you passed out outside last night."

No reply.

He tried again. "Are you still in there?" Maybe the beta had skipped out after waking in the room of an alpha. It wouldn't have been a pleasant experience if he had. With that thought, Grimmjow regretted putting him in there. His uncle's room may have been better, it hadn't been used for while, but the idea didn't sit right with Grimmjow.

And didn't that realisation make Grimmjow, once again, question himself and his sanity. "Look, if you're awake, let me know, because I'm going to come in."

Again there was no reply.

"Okay then, I'm coming in."

He took a step back, grabbed the door handle, and pushed open the door.

The room sat bathed in darkness and shadows. Even though it was midmorning, and the sun was shining outside by this point, the blackout curtain across the window did nothing to help visibility. Grimmjow usually relished the darkness, but he really wished he could see his guest without having get any closer.

Then he cursed himself for stupid thoughts again and switched on the light.

The room didn't look much different than it had for most of the day before, meaning the bed was unmade, there were clothes strewn across the floor, and there was no beta anywhere in sight. However, as empty as the room appeared, that distinct smell of beta still hung in the air, fresh and strong, and Grimmjow knew he was still in there somewhere.

He grabbed a dirty hoodie from where he'd abandoned on his desk and held it pressed against his face. Not great, but better than nothing.

Checking behind the door, he eased it closed with a soft click and moved further into the room. There weren't many places the guy could have gone. The wardrobe was large, but it was filled with empty cardboard boxes. He still pulled the door open to take a look inside. Well the teen at, at least, looked through his stuff. The clothes, towels and bedding which had once been stored on the shelves had been pulled down and dumped on top of the boxes. Now only a few rogue shirts and a couple pillow cases were lying in their places.

"Did you have to make such a mess?" Grimmjow said with a sigh, turning away from the wardrobe. "Where are you?"

And this time, although he wouldn't call it a reply, he heard a shuffling noise, a slight tap of something against the wood of the bedside table.

Slowly he made his way around the end of the bed to look down into the gap between the bed and the wall.

Grimmjow didn't even have the chance to process anything before the beta sprung up from his place amongst the blankets piled on the floor and collided with his chest. They rolled across the carpet, crashing into the desk and sending books and pens raining down from above. The beta got his hands on Grimmjow's shoulders, digging his sharp claws into the flesh and tearing at the fabric of Grimmjow's t-shirt.

They ended up in the middle of the room. Grimmjow lay on his back with a knee dug into his chest and hands around his throat. There was something hard underneath him, digging painfully into his spine, but he paid no attention to it because, for the first time, he got a proper look at the beta.

And the guy was furious. No, not furious frightened, although the growl rumbling from his throat would suggest the former.

For a moment they stared at each other. Grimmjow wasn't stupid enough to move, but with each passing second the smell of the guy on top of him increased. He swallowed, feeling the skin of his throat move against the burning hands that lay there.

The beta was stunning, messy orange hair and wide brown eyes. Their faces were so close that Grimmjow could see a glimmer of his own reflection in those eyes.

"Who are you? Where am I? What did you do to me? Let me go or I'll hurt you."

The knee ground further into Grimmjow's ribs and he let out a sharp breath of air.

"Tell me!"

Grimmjow found his voice, "Could you get off my chest? I can't breathe."

"And let you have your way with me?" He let out a strangled noise, half scoffed laugh, half restrained sob.

"No...No of course not. Maybe...just take the knee off a little?" He tried to keep his voice as calm as he could. It wasn't the usual tactic he'd employ in such situations, not that he'd ever been in a situation quite like this one.

The beta glared down at him, but the pressure on his chest eased off.

"Now answer me," the beta said.

"Which question do you want answered first."

It was the wrong thing to say and only earnt more claw marks to his neck. He held his hands up the best he could.

"Okay. Okay. I found you passed out on the fire escape. I couldn't leave you out there in… as you are, so I brought you in."

"What did you do to me when I was out?"

"Nothing. I didn't do anything."

"You're lying!"

Grimmjow frowned, and opened his mouth to reply with something along the lines of, 'Listen here jerk…', but the thought fizzled out before he said a word because the beautiful (he wasn't going to kid himself on facts) being above him had tears rolling down his cheeks.

"I promise I only moved you to the bed," he said, "I'm not gonna lie to you, I...I had thoughts, but I wouldn't do anything like that I swear."

"You're an alpha."

There was no denying that. "Yeah."

"Then why didn't you…" the beta didn't finish that thought and shook his head. "I was alway told that it'd happen if I let an alpha get close when…"

He trailed off again, now looking more tired and betrayed than anything else.

"Right...um...I'm not exactly comfortable with us like this. You can go, if you want. I'm not gonna stop you."

"I can't go back there, not until Sunday."

"Okay. Then we can talk this out, figure out what to do. You cannot wander around like that."

"You want to keep me here."

"That is not what I said."

The beta's grip had loosened somewhat and Grimmjow, very slowly, pushed himself up on his elbows so the were more level.

"Look," Grimmjow said, " if you got somewhere to go, that's cool. If you need somewhere to stay, that's cool too. But if you're staying we need to talk, and I'd prefer to do that with you on one side of a door and me on the other. Not that I have anything against you but, you know…"

The beta stared at him, his eyes burning holes. Grimmjow struggled to keep still under the gaze.

"Okay," the beta finally said, moving off Grimmjow and backing away a fair distance.

"Okay?"

The beta made a frustrated noise and crossed his arms over his chest, making himself smaller. "That's what I said isn't it?" He paused, then said in a barely audible voice, "It's not like I have much of a choice anyway."

Grimmjow pushed himself to his feet. "Umm... Okay, great… are you hungry? Because I came in to see if you wanted something to eat."

The beta paused to stare into Grimmjow's face. "... I'm a little hungry."

"Right. Okay. If you wanna stay in here, I'll grab you something. Then, as you eat, we can talk. Sound good?"

A nod was the only reply, brown eyes still locked on.

Grimmjow shifted in place. "Great," he said.

He walked over to the door, trying to ignore the feeling of eyes following him. Pulling open the door, he stopped and turned back, meeting his guest's gaze with a matching one of his own.

"I'm Grimmjow, by the way."

"... My name is Ichigo."


	3. Chapter 3 - Ichigo

_I know it's been a while since a new chapter was posted, I really am trying to get words on the page, but between general life and university work, it's difficult finding time for this amongst things with a higher priority. _  
_Thank you to all of you who are still interested in reading more, I just beg your patience. _  
_I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please, let me know what you think._

_\- Phoenix_

Chapter Three

Ichigo

Ichigo couldn't think .When he tried everything spiraled into a whirlwind of what-ifs and now-whats. The hot blue haired guy (and as much as that was true he hated that he thought it), Grimmjow, had opened the door a crack and passed through a packet of Oreos a while back, slamming it shut again.

"I'm sorry," he'd said, from the other side, "but your scent is… uh… well it's better if we keep the door shut."

Ichigo wrapped himself up in one of the fluffy blankets that he'd found and sat pressed up to the wall, letting the coldness of the bricks sink through the fabric and into the overbearing warmth of his back. Another wave was coming. He could feel it boiling in his blood, pumping around his body and dragging away the thoughts he needed to be clear. There was no way to stop it, no way to hold back until he could get away and be safe. He had no choice but to fight through the early stages and explain his situation the best he could to the guy on the other side of the door.

Pulling on the end on the Oreo packet he ripped it open, spilling the biscuits across the carpet in front of his crossed legs. Abandoning the plastic wrapping, he snatched up two Oreos and stuffed them both into his mouth. He hadn't realised how hungry he was. How long had it been since he'd eaten? In fact … how long had it been since he'd fled his home at all? He chewed slowly, listening, over the crunching, to the scuffing of feet on carpet in the hallway.

Swallowing his mouthful, Ichigo cleared his throat.

The shuffling outside stopped, and that deep voice that did weird things to him drifted over him as Grimmjow spoke.

"So, what… you ready to try work this out?"

For a moment Ichigo didn't know what to say, where to start, but one thing he was sure of, one thing that both settled his worries and sent them soaring higher than they had ever been, was that more than anyone he'd ever met before he wanted to tell this guy everything. Not just enough, not the brief details, everything. There was something about Grimmjow that drew him in, a magnetic pull that he couldn't untangle with his fevered mind. It both scared him and exited him and brought his thoughts back to the way their bodies pressed together and if he'd just lent down a little closer… No, he couldn't think those things.

"… Yeah," he stuffed another handful of biscuits into his mouth and talked through them, " I can't go back. There was … a man."

A thump on the door, "An alpha?"

Ichigo chewed slower, giving himself some time to think around the lump that had formed in his chest. Could he tell the truth, be honest? He had never been able to before, at least not with anyone who wasn't Shiro. The tenuous relationship his father had with the elders made even talking to him a risk, he didn't want his father to have to choose between him and the rest of the family. But was there really any harm in letting Grimmjow know? Probably not, and, Ichigo thought, if he tried to keep everything in when he began to talk there would be no words he could use to explain things to the alpha that hardly seemed like one at all.

He swallowed the mouthful he held, but still he found it difficult to breathe.

" I'm supposed to mate him, if he's chosen" he said, his voice so quiet he wasn't sure Grimmjow would hear, " In two years time he'll have me and I can't say no. He didn't see the point in waiting, he wanted to be sure. He came to the house. Everyone's gone until the weekend and I was the only one there. He'll be waiting for me if I go back."

They lapsed into silence, one that stretched and stood long enough that Ichigo wondered if Grimmjow had left.

"Isn't there anything you can do?"

"If I say anything to my father and he stops it going ahead then they can cut him off, my younger sisters too. My brother wouldn't care, but I can't do that to them."

"Well, what will you do then?"

Ichigo sighed, "I should call my brother. Though if I do that, he'll kick off and cause everything I want to prevent. They'll be back Sunday evening." He banged his head back against the door, and he did it again, "I don't know. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I can't go back. I can't get help. And I sure as hell can't go anywhere like… like this!" He gestured down his body, despite the fact that Grimmjow couldn't see. "I don't want this." he said, voice dropping to barely a whisper, "I never wanted this."

"You can stay here."

"What?"

"If you need to, and if you want, you can stay here, until you can go home."

"What about your family? They wouldn't like it."

"My family aren't here. It's my uncle's place, but he's not gonna show up for a while. You can stay. I won't hurt you."

"I...Thank you. But, why. Why would you…"

"I'm not sure. There's just something about you, Ichigo."


	4. Chapter 4 - Grimmjow

_This is kinda short, much shorter than the other chapters, but I felt that I could be forever be trying to make it longer, and it came to a point where the character didn't have any more to say and it'd be better to switch. I hope not to be too long with the next update. _

_Thank you to anyone who's followed, favourited or reviewed this story, and thank you to anyone who's still here and reading._

_Like always, I appreciate your opinions and suggestions, so, please leave a review._

_~ Phoenix_

**Chapter Four**

Grimmjow

He didn't know why he did it. Of all the things he could have done - should have done - he'd decided on the one thing which would definitely get him in a lot of trouble if he made even the smallest of mistakes.

He sat on the sofa, staring at the flickering images on the television screen without taking in anything that was going on. What Grimmjow was really doing with all his staring and his sitting and his moving around because he couldn't get comfy was trying extremely hard not to think about the alluring beta standing naked and getting wet in the shower.

It wasn't working.

He sighed, leaning back into the cushions. He flung his arms along the back of the sofa and crossed his legs stretching them out in front of him.

Fuck it all. It _really _wasn't working.

He changed the channel, then curled himself up in the corner of the sofa, forcing his brain to think about literally anything else.

Somehow, inexplicably, he fell asleep.

* * *

Grimmjow woke when the cushions dipped and someone settled on the sofa beside him. Warm fingers brushed against his ankle.

He jerked upright pulling his legs up underneath his body from where he'd stretched himself out a bit in his sleep, and snapped his gaze to the startled orange haired teen sat on the other end of the sofa.

"Uhh…Sorry," Ichigo said, dropping his hand to his lap and smoothing his expression into something more neutral.

Grimmjow sat up properly and took a moment to look over Ichigo while the other teen avoided looking him in the eye.

The beta cleaned up well. He must have raided Grimmjow's wardrobe again though, because his dirtied top was gone and in its place was one of Grimmjow's own. It was a bit big on him, Grimmjow being slightly broader, the neck-line slipping down one shoulder. He'd also found a pair of sleeping shorts, but Grimmjow wasn't paying any attention to that because he didn't want to be looking at those long, stunningly tanned legs. Not one bit.

Ichigo's scent had died down a bit, at least. Or maybe Grimmjow'd simply gotten a bit more used to it. Either way, as much as he still wanted Ichigo, it was manageable. That didn't mean being so close was easy though.

"Did you need something?" He said, turning to fix his eyes on the still flickering television, trying to ignore the heat creeping up his neck and into his cheeks.

"Do you have a washer?" Ichigo asked, holding up a scrunched up pile of clothes in one hand.

"Sure." Grimmjow stood holding out a hand to take the clothes, "I'll put them in."

As Ichigo passed them over, their fingers touched. Grimmjow went to pull away quickly, but stopped, looking down into the face of the beta in front of him.

Ichigo looked right back at him, not trying to move away. Instead, he stared, reaching out to touch Grimmjow's hand once more.

Grimmjow didn't understand it. Ichigo was acting so differently from how he'd seemed to before.

Something had changed.

And Grimmjow? Grimmjow didn't know what that meant.


	5. Chapter 5 - Ichigo

_A short chapter again. After this one, they should get longer again. This one is establishing some of Ichigo's thoughts while Grimmy's having a nap on the sofa. To be honest__, __I'm not sure how to feel about this chapter, but the next one will be getting into some interesting __stuff hopefully. _

~ _Phoenix_

**Chapter 5**

Ichigo

The water ran down his body, washing away the grime and sweat and the stench of his heat. He felt better than he had in weeks, all the thoughts that had crowded his head in the run up to his birthday disappeared down the drain with the dredges of shampoo.

And now in the shower, in the house of someone he should be hiding away from, he could think so much more clearly about his life then he had ever before.

He ran through everything he knew while the water soothed him.

He didn't want what the family heads wanted, but he couldn't say no for the sake of his father and his sisters.

Could he take his own choices all on his own head and keep them out of it? Maybe it was possible, but he didn't know if he was willing to test it.

Saying what he didn't want was easy. He didn't want to mate Azien and he would have to if he kept himself on the same path. He could imagine the life he'd have with the man, everything he worked for, studied for would be all for nothing in the end. Ichigo would become whatever Azien wanted him to be, a housekeeper, a carrier for his children, someone just to be there to make sure the man was happy, no matter what that meant.

Saying what he wanted was harder.

He wanted to choose for himself.

He wanted to believe those amazing stories of fate.

He wanted to trust what his heart was telling him, that the stories were true, and where he'd ended up hadn't been simply due to his desperation.

He wanted… He wanted Grimmjow. Never before had anything felt so fitting.

He didn't even have to think about it, complete and free for once. It was everything else that held him back, but then again no one ever said Ichigo did things by half.

* * *

Ichigo stood at the living room door, taking in blue haired man sleeping on the sofa. When he'd last had the chance to look at the alpha it hadn't exactly been a good moment to appreciate just how well built the guy was.

In the end it didn't matter, not really. How someone looked meant nothing if they'd force someone to benefit themselves.

Ichigo pushed those thoughts away.

He stepped closer to man, rounding the sofa so he stood by Grimmjow's feet.

The good looks - the vivid hair, the tanned skin, the obvious strength - although nice, wasn't what made Ichigo like him so much. And, aside from the undeniable wholeness Ichigo felt towards Grimmjow, the man had been kind - was kind - to him. He'd given him food, and kept away. He'd brought him inside and made sure he was safe. He didn't have to do that. He could have done anything to him and Ichigo wouldn't have been able to stop it, but he didn't.

Everything in Ichigo - his mind, his heart and his instincts - told him Grimmjow was just _right. _

For once Ichigo wasn't going to fight it, his nature. It was time to just accept himself as who he was. Whatever happened next would happen, and after that?

Well…he'd figure that bit out later.


End file.
